1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns interconnection networks, packet switching and photonic switching.
The present invention particularly concerns a new class of packet-switched extended generalized-shuffle self-routing multistage interconnection networks (called "Stretch" networks) providing a continuous performance-cost tradeoff between the knockout switch or buffered crossbar and the tandem banyan network.
The Stretch networks are characterized by a number of parameters: N,M,F,K,P,R, and T. N and M denote the number of input and output channels respectively. F is the maximum of the fanout F.sub.o or the fanin F.sub.i. K is the number of input/outputs of the switching element used in the switching and routing stages. P is the number of packet buffers per output channel. R is the number of back-to-back replications of the unipath Stretch [N,M,F,K,P] network, and T is the number of tandem Stretch [N,M,F,K,P,R] networks used in parallel.
2. Background of the Invention
This section describes how free-space optoelectronic technology can be used to achieve high-performance networks for neurocomputing, parallel processing, and broadband switching applications. All these applications are characterized by a need for parallel systems with global communication requirements. The present invention will be seen to deal with the design, analysis, and implementation of application-specific optoelectronic networks from a systems viewpoint, and a new class of networks so derived.
This section further describes the basic concept of a free-space optoelectronic system and its advantages over a VLSI system. Section 2.1 discusses the need for parallel systems and reviews previous work that compares optoelectronic and VLSI technologies at the component level. Section 2.2 briefly outlines the present state of the art basic components of a free-space optoelectronic system. Section 2.3 presents a summary and introduces the design methodology used in the derivation of the networks that are the subject of the present invention.